HARARE, May 21 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's 15
rebel players have been sackedagain and have referred their dispute with the
Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU)to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the
players' lawyer said onFriday.

"The ZCU lawyer called me to say the
players are all fired, and that theymust return their cars to the ZCU,"
players' lawyer Chris Venturas said.

"So most of them will be catching
buses or be on bicycles from tomorrow."

The players, who had made
themselves unavailable for selection, were firstsacked on May 10, in part of
a continuing saga.

"We have referred the matter to the ICC and we have
asked them to form adispute committee, which they can do, to arbitrate in
this dispute,"Venturas said.

"We have tried to resolve it
domestically, but we have run out of room to dothat."

ICC President
Ehsan Mani confirmed that the ruling body had received
therequest.

"We received yesterday from the lawyer of the 15 players
a request to submita dispute to the ICC dispute process," Mani told a news
conference inLondon.

"Should this matter go before a hearing under
the ICC Disputes Resolutionprocess, given the nature and complexity of this
dispute, I would think thatit would be several months before this process
would be finalised," Maniadded.

The news of the players' latest
sackings broke simultaneously with theannouncement of a decision taken by
the ZCU and Cricket Australia to calloff the two tests their teams were
scheduled to play until a later date.

Instead, Zimbabwe and Australia
will play three one-day internationals inHarare on May 25, 27 and
29.

Venturas said: "We have been told that they are not wanted for the
one-dayseries against Australia."

Zimbabwe had to select an
inexperienced team to play Sri Lanka, who won bothtests by an innings and
the one-day series 5-0.

The 15 rebels, who include former captain Heath
Streak, say the Zimbabweboard allows politicians to dictate the make-up of
the team and rushes youngblack players into the side prematurely.

The
Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe

Monday
May 10th – Sunday May 16th

Weekly
Media Update 2004-19

CONTENTS

1. RIGHTS
ABUSES

2. LUPANE
BY-ELECTIONS

3. FOOD SECURITY
ISSUES

1.
RIGHTS ABUSES

News
of the ill-treatment of Iraqi prisoners by members of the US army at Abu Ghraib
jail in Baghdad presented the government media with a platform to dismiss
legitimate condemnation of Zimbabwe’s human rights record by the West as
hypocritical.

For
example, ZTV and Power FM (10/5, 8pm) claimed the revelations demonstrated that
America and Britain were “far from being the champions of
democracy and human rights” and were “gross human rights
violators” who have no “right to lecture other countries
about human rights”.

ZTV’s
Face the Nation programme (13/5,
9.30pm) then featured the government’s Media and Information Commission
chairman, Tafataona Mahoso, to defend ZBC’s slanted coverage of the issue.

But
instead of a rational analysis of human rights abuses, Mahoso claimed that
Britain was condemning Zimbabwe’s human rights record because it had become
“the apartheid
State” after the collapse of apartheid South
Africa.

Said
Mahoso: “… Apartheid
has gone back to where it came from. Britain now has to intervene directly in
the affairs of Zimbabwe because apartheid is no longer there in South Africa to
always wield its threats over the heads of Zimbabwe… So Britain is the power
that now feels it must protect not only white racist interests but even
cooperate with all those who benefited from
apartheid…”

Four
viewers called in during the programme and praised Mahoso for his “incisive” analysis
of the issue. Only one viewer was critical saying, “Zimbabwean prisons were worse
off”. He was however abruptly cut off air.

The
government media have consistently ignored vocal domestic criticism of the
government’s human rights abuses.

The
Editor’s Memo column in the
Zimbabwe Independent (14/5)
provided some credible analysis of the government media’s preoccupation with
human rights abuses in Iraq.

The
column pointed out that while the government media were “voyeuristically fascinated”
by the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, they have remained silent on
widespread human rights violations in Zimbabwe.

It
noted that the government media was trying to “fudge what is
happening in Iraq” in an attempt to “mask the difference between
sadistic abuse of prisoners of war by soldiers on the one hand, and human rights
violations by government on the other”.

However,
the author’s argument was undermined by his apparent attempt justify the
ill-treatment of Iraqis saying, “American and British soldiers are
fighting a deadly war, they are not human rights campaigners…what does
constitute human rights abuses is the role and attitude of the political
authorities”.

While
the government media capitalized on America and Britain’s human rights abuses,
Studio 7 and Short Wave Radio Africa carried about 13 fresh reports on
continuing rights violations by government officials and security force
personnel during the week.

Some
of the reports also appeared in the private Press, particularly the violent
dispersal by the police of NCA demonstrations in several cities during the week
and a civic society meeting in Gweru at the weekend. The government media all
but ignored these events.

2.
LUPANE BY-ELECTION

The
media, especially those from the government-controlled stable, failed once more
to encourage transparency in the conduct of local elections as illustrated by
their inability to demand unconditional accountability in the way the
authorities prepared for and held the just ended Lupane by-election.

As
a result, this compromised the fairness and quality of the news the electorate
received, and indeed, the atmosphere under which the poll was
held.

For
example, all 11 stories the national broadcaster carried on the electoral
process were handouts from the Electoral Supervisory Commission (ESC) and merely
echoed the commission’s sentiments on the poll without
question.

Consequently,
a thorough examination of the electoral process was ignored. The government
mediamerely gave information on the number of registered voters, election
monitors and the location and the total number of polling stations.

Even
then, this crucial information was only made available to the electorate on the
eve of the election.

The
private media did not fare any better in the 13 reports they carried on the
elections. These media largely quoted the MDC accusing ZANU PF of intimidating
the electorate without corroborating the veracity of the claims.

Neither
did they cover the election manifestos of the candidates for the electorate to
make informed choices.

Typically,
the government-controlled Press carried nine articles campaigning for ZANU PF’s
candidate while ignoring the campaign activities of the opposition MDC and its
candidate. In fact, the opposition and its candidate were either denigrated or
blamed for causing violence in Lupane in the four articles in which they were
mentioned.

ZBC
followed a similar trend in the eight stories it dedicated to ZANU PF’s campaign
activities. Only Studio 7 aired the activities of the MDC candidate on two
occasions but featured none on the ZANU PF candidate.

But
while reports in the government media were saturated by either the ESC’s
one-sided assessments of the poll as generally free and fair or partisan reports
on ZANU PF’s campaign trails, only the private media queried the environment in
which the by-election was being held by raising concerns of alleged violence and
intimidation against the MDC by ruling party supporters.

For
example SW Radio Africa, which alone carried six stories on the matter, quoted
several MDC officials complaining about various electoral irregularities during
the poll.

MDC
Secretary-General Welshman Ncube told the private radio station (10/5) that the
level of intimidation in Lupane was “very high” and
that local villagers had been threatened with “the return of the Gukurahundi
should they not vote for ZANU-PF”. MDC spokesperson Paul Themba
Nyathi (SW Radio Africa (14/5) echoed Ncube’s claims, adding that traditional
leaders were also involved in the harassment of opposition supporters.

Studio
7 (15/5) cited three incidents where chiefs were said to have been moving around
polling stations wearing ZANU-PF regalia and mobilizing people to
vote.

The
government media suffocated this apparent abuse of traditional chiefs by ZANU PF
to win elections for them. For example, the Chronicle (13/5) merely reported Local
Government Minister Ignatius Chombo telling 600 Lupane “traditional leaders… that the
government was committed to improving their welfare”during a
campaign rally.

In
fact, the Zimbabwe
Independent
(14/5) revealed that government had set aside an “unbudgeted
$27,5 billion on chiefs’ vehicles and other perks”.The
paper viewed this as a “move calculated to win their support ahead of
parliamentary elections currently scheduled for March.”

However,
the Council of Chiefs secretary-general Fortune Charumbira defended the move
saying the scheme was similar to that for parliamentarians where government
provided them with loans to buy vehicles.

The
Chronicle
(13/5) reported without question that chiefs from Silobela and Lower Gweru had
“pledged
to ensure that ZANU PF regains the two parliamentary seats in their areas it
lost in 2000 after they were given a prominent role in the selection of
candidates”.

The
government media were clearly unwilling to examine these unorthodox electoral
campaign tactics and largely ignored the ruling party’s intimidation of the
Lupane electorate.

And
where they were obliged to admit to outbreaks of violence in the constituency,
they vaguely referred to them as “clashes”, (Radio
Zimbabwe 13/5, 1pm) or “skirmishes” (Power
FM 11/5, 8pm) to obscure the identity of the perpetrators and soften the ugly
impact on the conduct of the poll.

Only
where the MDC was accused of being responsible for the violence were these media
specific (Power FM, 11/5, 8pm, 12/5, 1pm; the Chronicle, 12/5; and Radio Zimbabwe, 14/5,
1pm). No due care was made to balance or corroborate these accusations with
independent sources.

For
example, the Chronicle
(12/5) reported that a ZANU PF supporter was “suddenly
attacked”
and allegedly axed by MDC’s “weapon
wielding activists”
while putting up campaign posters for the ruling party’s candidate. The paper
claimed that the campaign had been “peaceful
until (the) incident”.

But
contrary to this report by the Chronicle (and Radio Zimbabwe), The Tribune (14/5)quoted the MDC district information
secretary David Nyathi giving more context to the circumstances leading to the
violence.

He
claimed MDC supporters had retaliated after ZANU PF supporters had attacked them
while they were putting up their own campaign posters. Nyathi said the police
had only arrested MDC activists, including the party’s polling agents. He said:
“There
is no justice for us. We cannot complain to the police because ZANU PF
supporters will never be arrested.”

Nyathi’s
account found corroboration from reports in TheZimbabwe Independent and The Daily Mirror (13/5).

SW
Radio Africa (13/5) reported a Lupane magistrate discharging 11 of the arrested
MDC activists for lack of evidence.

The
Standard
(16/5) reported that the police had arrested two other MDC activists who claimed
they had been kidnapped and tortured by war veterans but who the police accused
of perpetrating violence against ZANU PF supporters.

The
two were allegedly arrested when they went to report their ordeal to the police.
However, no comment was sought from the police.

3.
FOOD SECURITY ISSUES

Government’s
decision to stop a joint crop assessment team from two international food relief
agencies seeking to establish Zimbabwe’s food needs, captured the imagination of
the media in the week under review.

The
Harare authorities stopped the team from the Food and Agricultural Organization
(FAO) and the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) from completing its work on the
grounds that Zimbabwe no longer needed food handouts because the country was
expecting a “bumper harvest”.

The
move, reminiscent of the misleading declaration by Agriculture Minister Joseph
Made in May 2001 (The Herald)
that Zimbabweans would have adequate food during that year, seemed to replay
itself this year with the same minister again predicting a surplus food output
amid independent forecasts to the contrary.

Radio
Zimbabwe (11/5, 12/5, 6pm & 8pm) and The
Herald (12/5) quoted Made saying results from the “final crop
assessment” for the 2003/2004 season showed that more than 2,4
million tonnes of maize would be produced this season. He added that if the
total tonnage of sorghum and millet were to be included, the country would have
more than 2,8 million tonnes of cereal, a figure he said, that surpassed the
country’s requirement of between 1,5 million and 2 million
tonnes.

While
Made reportedly arrived at his 2001 harvest predictions on the basis of an
aerial view from a helicopter, the methods used to assess this year’s crop were
not disclosed. Neither would the government media challenge him to explain how
and when government conducted the evaluation.

On
the contrary, they quoted Social Welfare Minister Paul Mangwana simply saying
the country will “not
require food imports or food aid”.

Again,
these media did not quote alternative food experts or carry independent
investigation to verify the claims.

However,
the private media wondered at the timing of the mysterious development,
especially as it came amid unprecedented economic turmoil less than a year
before the country’s next parliamentary election.

The
varied opinion accessed by these media either interpreted the government move as
designed to spruce up the image of its controversial agrarian reforms or a
calculated move to cause State-induced hunger among the citizenry, which it
would capitalize on in the 2005 parliamentary poll to buy votes from a famished
electorate.

In
fact, despite the authorities’ claims that the UN food assessment team had been
sent home on the basis of a projected harvest surplus, SW Radio Africa (10/5)
revealed that Made had admonished the group “a few days into the
mission” for being in the country “without his
approval”.

The
radio station claimed this was in spite of the fact that “a government newspaper has seen a
letter from Made’s ministry dated 30 March, 2004, inviting UNWFP officials to
come and estimate the country’s food aid
needs”.

The
report quoted journalist Andrew Meldrum attributing the reasons for the
expulsion of the UN team to government’s fears that independent observations of
the real crop situation in the country were likely to discredit government’s
assertions that its land reforms had boosted productivity.

Meldrum
reported public fears that the government intended to deliberately starve people
with the aim of using the maize in its custody as a “political weapon”
in the forthcoming election.

Studio
7 (14/5) supported this sentiment when it cited Amnesty International raising
the same suspicions. It noted that government had “manipulated” food
aid “over the past
couple of years”, with little regard to people’s “fundamental right to food, upon
which all other rights are dependent”.

So
did The Zimbabwe Independent
(13/5). It observed that government’s
inflated crop yield projections to justify its decision to turn down food aid
would leave the electorate “at the mercy of the ruling party,
which in the past has demonstrated a penchant for using food as the carrot in
its often vicious campaign strategy”.

But
the government media censored the government’s banishment of the UN crop
assessment group from the country, choosing instead to celebrate Made’s projections in their reports
saying the development demonstrated the success of the land reform
programme.

For
instance, in its comment, Bumper harvest
shames detractors, The
Herald (14/5) observed that the projected yields had shown that
previous food shortages were not due to land reforms but “four
consecutive droughts”
which “coincided
with the massive exercise to redistribute land”.

Similarly,
ZBC used government’s unverified predictions of plentiful food as a tool to
“shame”
Zimbabwe’s “detractors” over
what they thought government’s agrarian reforms “will never
achieve”, ZTV
(12/5, 6pm and 8pm).

Amid
this euphoria, Studio 7 (13/5) reminded its listeners that last year government
had made similar claims of projected good harvests only for it to make a
surprising U-turn later and approach the UN for aid.

The
station (12/5) also quoted Harare-based independent agro-economist Roger Mupande
watering down government’s bumper harvest predictions as “surprising” since
the current season had been impacted negatively by late rain, under-utilization
of resettled farms and shortages of equipment and inputs.

Mupande
noted that the projections would have been more authentic “if other agencies like FAO and
WFP were allowed to assess the crop situation”, the results of
which would then be fed into the SADC Early Warning Food
Systems.

SW
Radio Africa (11/5), Studio 7 (13/5), The
Zimbabwe Independent and The
Sunday Mirror (16/5) also cited other farming experts, as revising
government’s maize output forecasts for the year from the estimated 2.4 million
tonnes to between 600 000 and 900,000 tonnes.

The
Independent quoted the UN as
describing the projected harvest as an “impossibly
big figure”
and a “complete
nonsense”.

Meanwhile,
SW Radio Africa (12/5), revealed that government was working on a
tobacco-for-maize deal with an unnamed American bank, to ship maize over to
Zimbabwe, package it in GMB sacks and then claim it as local produce.

Likewise,
Studio 7 (13/5) and the
Independent reported that government was clandestinely importing
maize from Zambia and storing it in Mashonaland West GMB silos.

However,
Studio 7 also quoted Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union’s Silas Hungwe denying
the allegations saying, “the government has never imported
maize from Zambia”.

Ends

Feel
free to write to MMPZ. We may not able to respond to everything but we will look
at each message.For previous MMPZ
reports, and more information about the Project, please visit our website at http://www.mmpz.org.zw

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa would be unwilling to play against aweakened
Zimbabwe team next year, according to United Cricket Boardpresident Ray
Mali.

Mali said yesterday's decision to postpone the two-Test
series betweenAustralia and Zimbabwe, scheduled to begin today, was "very
much in linewith our thinking".

He said the UCB would be making
every effort to ensure the home seriesagainst their neighbours, set for
February 2005, would be competitive.

"We would not like to play
against a very inferior Zimbabwe team andso we will be doing everything
possible to assist them in the development ofa top-class side," Mali said.
Zimbabwe's team has been decimated by adispute between 15 rebel players, who
walked out after Heath Streak wassacked as captain. - Reuters

LONDON - The International Cricket Council
(ICC) welcomed the ZimbabweCricket Union (ZCU) decision to postpone the two
Test matches againstAustralia.

ICC President Ehsan Mani said
the decision would help ensure theintegrity of Test cricket and did not
threaten Zimbabwe's Test statusalthough that could be discussed at the ICC
meetings at the end of June inLondon.

"I am pleased that the
ZCU and Cricket Australia (CA) have agreed topostpone these two matches to a
date yet to be fixed. This course of actionwas first suggested by the ICC
two weeks ago and protects the integrity ofTest cricket," he said in a
statement.

"Over recent days all ICC Full Members have worked hard
behind thescenes to help find a resolution and their work is appreciated.
The ZCU hasnow revisited the proposal to postpone this series and this
decision will bepositively received throughout the international cricket
family." - AFP

Harare - Zimbabwean
police rearrested and charged two journalists on Fridayover a story accusing
senior government officials of plotting the murder ofa mine
executive.

The weekly Standard's editor Bornwell Chakaodza and reporter
ValentineMaponga appeared in court under tough laws prohibiting publication
of falsestatements prejudicial to the state.

Police first detained
them on Wednesday after the Sunday paper reported thatthe family of Leonard
Chimimba, late chief executive of Zimbabwe's leadingnickel producer Bindura,
had accused senior government officials of plottinghis fatal shooting last
week.

Chimimba died of a gunshot wound to the back of his
headThe men were released without charge after a few hours on Wednesday
whenpolice said they wanted to interview more people.

The charge
sheet against them on Friday said the Standard "lied in theirstory that the
story had been based on the views given by a named relativeof the diseased
but whom they had never approached nor interviewed tosubstantiate the
story".

"The two accused persons negligently published their paper with
theintention of inciting or promoting public disorder or public violence,"
itadded.

Police say Chimimba died of a gunshot wound to the back of
his head after hewas found lying in a pool of blood next to his vehicle
outside his Hararehome. A man has since been arrested in connection with
what police say wasan attempted hijacking.

Some local newspapers have
linked Chimimba's death to the disappearanceearlier this year of a large
Bindura consignment of nickel and platinum enroute to South
Africa.

"(The Standard story) implied that the government was covering up
andeliminating people who had evidence to the theft," the state said in
itscase.

Because of Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation and sliding dollar the
potential Z$100000 fine they face is worth just $18.75 (about
R140).

But a conviction would lend credence to the government's charge
that privatemedia have spearheaded a Western-backed campaign against it over
its seizureof white-owned land.

Chakaodza and Maponga were not asked
to plead and Harare magistrate SukaiTongogara granted them Z$50 000 bail and
ordered them to return to court onJune 8.

Bindura, which produces
nickel, copper and cobalt, operates Trojan mine inBindura town, 80km
north-east of Harare, as well as another mine, a smelterand a
refinery.

Police have arrested several Standard staffers in the last two
years, mainlyunder harsh media and security laws critics say are aimed at
muzzlingcritics of Mugabe's government.

The government says the laws
are needed to restoring professionalism injournalism as it faces a barrage
of criticism from home and abroad overpolicies like the seizure of
white-owned farms and Mugabe's controversial2002 re-election.

ENGLAND SHOULD WAIT AND SEEInternational Cricket
Council chief executive Malcolm Speed recommended onFriday that England
delay a decision over their autumn tour of Zimbabweuntil after next month's
ICC meeting.

The postponement of Zimbabwe's two-Test series against
Australia earliertoday has placed England's trip to the troubled African
nation in furtherdoubt.

The England and Wales Cricket Board are due
to meet on June 8 to discuss thefuture of a tour which has been heavily
criticised by opponents of RobertMugabe's despotic regime.

But Speed
suggests the ECB halt their discussions until the end of June whenthe ICC
are scheduled to hold a series of meetings with the Zimbabwe issueat the top
of the agenda.

"The ECB are better off waiting to see what happens when
we meet next monthbefore making a decision," Speed said.

"The debate
over whether England should complete this tour began very earlyand there
were always going to be many twists and turns."

It has been suggested
that the ongoing crisis in Zimbabwean cricket couldlead to a suspension from
the international game but Speed insisted thatsuch a drastic course of
action was not under consideration.

He also played down fears of England
being hit with the same punishmentshould they decide not to proceed with the
tour to Zimbabwe.

"The suggestions of a year's ban for England popped up
some time ago," hesaid.

"Suspension of a Test-playing nation can only
occur if a majority of ICCdirectors vote for it - we're not even close to
that.

"No-one is contemplating England's suspension. Any country can be
suspendedif they're in breach of regulations but suspension for England or
Zimbabweis not an idea on the ICC's agenda."

It had been expected
that an ICC vote would be instigated after a lunchtimeteleconference was
called to discuss whether the matches between Zimbabweand Australia should
be accorded Test status.

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union however decided
overnight to act and offer todefer the Test series as previously suggested
by the ICC.

Zimbabwe, weakened by the loss of 15 players due to a dispute
between themand the board, were heavily beaten in their recent Test series
against SriLanka.

It was feared that their forthcoming series against
the all-conqueringAustralians would be a huge mismatch that would tarnish
the internationalgame.

ICC president Ehsan Mani said: "The ZCU have
made the correct decision. Itis important to protect the integrity of Test
cricket.

"The ZCU were aware of our fears and this affected their
decision on whetherthe series should go ahead.

"We were concerned
over what might happen against Australia after seeing therecent series
against Sri Lanka. It was only right that we stepped in atthis
stage."

Although the Test series has been put on indefinite hold, the
three one-daymatches against Australia will still go ahead and Mani outlined
the reasonsfor this.

"One-day cricket is different to Test matches,"
he said. "Zimbabwe'sperformances in the one-dayers against Sri Lanka were
not so bad.

"By keeping these games the younger players will receive
exposure tointernational cricket."

HARARE - Zimbabwe's main
opposition accused police on Friday of standingaside as ruling party
supporters attacked its office after a parliamentarydebate over government
seizures of white-owned farms.

Supporters of President Robert Mugabe's
ZANU-PF smashed the entrance to theheadquarters of the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) on Thursday in aprotest against the MDC's Roy
Bennett, who was involved in a scuffle duringthe debate.

In a statement on Friday, MDC spokesman Paul Themba
Nyathi said the episodeoccurred "in full view of the police who in fact
protected (the protesters)and watched in glee as they carried out the
destruction."

"The police did not arrest a single individual of this
group. After thecompletion of their destruction, the police escorted them
back to theiroffice," he said.

Nyathi added that the police "instead
arrested MDC members of staff and someactivists who were in the
building."

The MDC has apologised for Bennett's scuffle with Justice
Minister PatrickChinamasa, but said the white lawmaker had responded to
racial slurs andextreme provocation over the government's seizure of his
farm under aprogramme to confiscate white-owned land for redistribution to
landlessblacks.

Formed in 1999, the MDC came close to winning nearly
half the 120 contestedseats in 2000 parliamentary polls held against the
background of an economiccrisis widely blamed on government mismanagement.
The opposition says itwould have won were it not for a violent ZANU-PF
campaign against itssupporters.

The MDC and several Western countries
say Mugabe rigged 2002 presidentialelections to win another six-year term in
office.

But Mugabe, who says the MDC is a puppet of former colonial power
Britain,insists he won fairly.

Mugabe denies charges that his rule
has caused an economic meltdown withsoaring inflation and unemployment, as
well as persistent shortages offoreign currency.

The veteran leader,
in power since independence in 1980, blames the ruin onsabotage by local and
foreign opponents of his forcible redistribution offormerly white-owned
commercial farms.

WITH a letter clasped in his hand, and his father by his side,
21-year-oldSean Ervine walked into the Zimbabwe Cricket Union headquarters
last week,past the historic Harare Sports Club ground where the first Test
againstAustralia was scheduled to begin today.

Inside the club,
Ervine handed his letter of retirement to ZCU chiefexecutive Vince Hogg. It
was a curious threesome: the head of adisintegrating cricket fraternity; the
father who had played cricketalongside his friend Hogg for the former
Rhodesia; and a son about to kissgoodbye to his career in Zimbabwe
cricket.

"I think (Hogg) was expecting it," Ervine said. "He said 'that's
fine', andran it through the lawyer. I walked out and I felt much better. I
felt likeI had been released."

Within 24 hours of resigning, Ervine
boarded a plane for Perth to start anew life with girlfriend of 14 months
Melissa Marsh, whose father Geoff, aformer Australia opening batsman and
current Zimbabwe coach, will also leavethe troubled African nation when his
contract ends in September.

Ervine met Melissa on four previous visits to
Australia; in recent days, heremails urged him to make a one-way trip.
"Maybe it's time to move on withyour life," she wrote.

But Ervine's
exit is less about love than the crisis engulfing Zimbabwecricket. Zimbabwe
last night faced the looming threat of being stripped ofits Test country
status by the International Cricket Council.

The more experienced -- and
mainly white -- players have been locked in astand-off with the ZCU over
political interference in player selection andthe promotion of black players
they say are not ready.

A week ago, Ervine became the first rebel player
to quit. A year ago, he wasdropped from the team "for a guy of colour to
come in" for a World Cup matchagainst Kenya.

"I felt devastated,"
Ervine said. "I just thought that with my performancethey'd at least give me
a chance to play, but they didn't."

It was a reasonable assumption.
Ervine had just shared a dazzlingpartnership with Heath Streak in which they
made a world record of 63 runsin three overs during Zimbabwe's World Cup
match with New Zealand.

"I actually thought of leaving (Zimbabwe) then,
of starting afresh somewhereelse," he said. "I phoned my folks that night
and told them. They said 'hangin there', so I did."

He played 42
one-day internationals and five Tests, and the talentedall-rounder looked
set to fill the void left by exiting top-shelf playersAndy Flower and Murray
Goodwin.

In February in Adelaide, with four black players in the team,
Ervine feltteam morale was still strong. So was his; he scored his first
century ininternational cricket.

"But
that's where the problems started -- because it was Bangladesh, theyput the
weaker guys in the team to give them experience."

Zimbabwe lost two of
three games "and we shouldn't have lost any", Ervinesaid.

Fifteen
players, including Ervine, tabled grievances that includeddisruptive tactics
by a few zealous ZCU board members who threatened tosabotage cricket pitches
if black players missed selection.

"We thought we had to stick together
and fight this out," Ervine said."Heath said 'if you don't sort these things
out, I'll resign'. Basicallythey fired him and they didn't want to act on
our recommendations."

Things got worse. In the recent Test series against
Sri Lanka, one of themost one-sided in cricket history, an almost all-black
team was destroyedafter the rebel players were sidelined.

Ervine
signalled his intention to pull the pin just before the Test seriesagainst
Sri Lanka. Other players protested. "But I said 'guys, I've got mylife to
carry on with and it's getting too much for me'."

This time, Ervine's
parents, who run the farming side of a rural orphanagefor 90 children, gave
their blessing. "Dad knew there was no future for mein Zimbabwe," he
said.

Mozambique and Zimbabwe have agreed to abolish
definitively visas betweenthe two countries for holders of diplomatic
passports. People living in theborder areas will also be allowed to cross
from one country into the otherwithout visa formalities.

According to
a report in Friday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", adocument to that
effect was signed in the northern Mozambican city of Pemba,between Miguel
dos Santos, and Augustine Xihure, the general policecommanders of Mozambique
and Zimbabwe respectively, on Thursday.

Mozambican Interior Ministry
spokesperson Nataniel Macamo said that the twoparties also agreed to put an
end to the tension along the common border,where shooting by Zimbabwean
troops has been often reported, resulting inthe death of some Mozambican
citizens.

"Because the two countries concluded that there are good
cooperationrelations, it was decided to encourage and strengthen the
exchange ofexperiences, and to work to sort out any differences. Thus,
measures will betaken in both countries giving clear instructions to punish
anymisbehaviour", he said.

The disturbances, occurring particularly
in the area of Kuchamano, on theborder between Zimbabwe and the western
Mozambican province of Tete, arestarted by the Zimbabweans.

The
border in that area, on the Zimbabwean side, is garrisoned by a
militaryunit, while Mozambique entrusted border security to the
police.

Macamo explained that land conflicts between the population on
both sidesarise because of the lack of fencing along parts of the 4,212
kilometre longborder, in both Tete and Manica provinces. Zimbabweans,
coveting the fertileland on the Mozambican side, sometimes farm illegally
within Mozambicanterritory.

Macamo said that the best way to solve
such situations is not to resort toviolence, but to seek ways of living
together peacefully.

Macamo said that the police in both countries have
submitted a formalrequest for the relevant authorities to demarcate the
border.

For his part, dos Santos said that to facilitate circulation of
people andgoods between the two countries, it was decided to provide better
equipmentto the simplified border posts, particularly to cater for the
people livingnear the border, and also to strengthen joint patrols, in order
toneutralise any cross border contraband.

Misa-Zimbabwe Re-Launches Community Radio Initiatives in Mutare And
Masvingo

Media Institute of Southern Africa
(Windhoek)

PRESS RELEASEMay 21, 2004Posted to the web May 21,
2004

On May 14 and 15 2004, the Media Institute of Southern
Africa(MISA)-Zimbabwe's Advocacy Department re-launched its community
radiobroadcasting initiatives in Mutare and Masvingo.

The aim of the
project is to engage communities in these cities to developcommunity radio
station programmes. The launch also saw the stakeholdersnominating interim
committees to spearhead the initiatives until March 2005.

Present at the
Mutare launch were representatives of non-governmentalorganisations,
religious leaders, media practitioners, media lawyers, thebusiness
community, members of the city council, the public and police.

In a
speech read on his behalf, Mutare Mayor Misheck Kaugurabadza,
expressedgratitude for the role to be played by the proposed radio stations
which hesaid, if realized, would positively enhance the life of the
community byeducating, entertaining and informing the residents of the
city.

"Mutare city council has taken cognizance of the fact that
residents shouldnot only be consulted but should also participate and
contribute in allcivic matters in a bid to enhance transparency,
accountability and socialresponsibility. In this regard, Council has come up
with an advisorycommittee for the city, which is made up of its key
stakeholders in thefurtherance of its purpose of existence, goals,
objectives, strategic visionand mission. It is through the establishment of
the proposed community radiostation that the information on developmental
matters will be disseminatedto residents of the city," said the
mayor.

Mayor Kagurabadza said the proposal was a welcome development to
the councilas it would provide a ready and accessible channel of
communication with andamongst residents of Mutare.

At the launch of
the Masvingo initiative that was also attended by membersof the civic
society, the Mayor of Masvingo Mr. Alois Chaimiti urged allstakeholders in
Masvingo to support the initiative that is going to focus onstrengthening
developmental processes while serving interests of
thecommunity.

"Zimbabwe permits community radio stations under the
Broadcasting ServicesAct, (BSA), although it has not as yet issued an
announcement for communityradio license applications. There will be need for
aspiring communitybroadcasters to be informed of any regulations and
procedures that willenable them to broadcast," he said

He urged
MISA-Zimbabwe to facilitate the formation of the radio stations byproviding
financial and technical support.

Facilitating the launch of both
initiatives, the Acting Advocacy Officer forMISA-Zimbabwe Wilbert Mandinde
said it was the responsibility of therespective communities to propound ways
in which they could lobby for theintroduction of radio stations in the
community. He pledged MISA-Zimbabwe'ssupport at every stage in the
formulation of ways of enhancing the communityinitiatives.

By participating in an elaborate
sting operation involving dozens of itscitizens, the South African
government was seeking to ram home the messagethat the country is no longer
a breeding ground for mercenaries.

Instead it has created a rod for its
back, as two of the more odious regimesin Africa play fast and loose with
the legal mores that underpin the SouthAfrican Constitution.

The
South African government believed it knew what the planeload ofmilitarily
trained men were up to when they left Polokwane airport on March7. Hours
later the men, those waiting to meet them at the airport inZimbabwe and the
flight crew - numbering 70 in all, each with a SouthAfrican passport - were
locked in Chikurubi maximum security prison,suspected of plotting to
overthrow the unsteady regime of Teodoro ObiangNguema in Equatorial
Guinea.

The suspicion was based on information from Pretoria;
then-intelligenceminister Lindiwe Sisulu admitted as much a few days after
their arrest. Shehailed the collaborative efforts of South Africa, Zimbabwe
and EquatorialGuinea in foiling the recruitment of mercenaries who had done
so much damageon the continent.

The sting, however, has been
compromised by Nguema's admission that he isincapable of conducting a fair
trial of the 13 men he is holding on similarcharges. He has officially
requested South African assistance in making thecase against those suspects
- but in his customary contrary way, he haswithheld adequate consular access
to the men by South African officials fromPretoria and the embassy in
Gabon.

Still, it is Zimbabwe, once again, that is making the most ofits
neighbour'sinability to protect its citizens when they get into trouble in
othercountries.

Unable to substantiate charges more serious than
infringement of aviationand immigration laws against the 70 men it is
holding, the Zimbabwegovernment is now seriously weighing up extraditing
them to EquatorialGuinea. No such legal niceties prevail in Equatorial
Guinea, where Nguemacame to power by murdering his uncle and has habitually
used alleged coupsas a pretext for thinning out his opposition.

Days
after the arrest of the 70 men, Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zumasaid
the suspects would face the might of the law in Zimbabwe and
EquatorialGuinea and would then have the book thrown at them when they came
home.

She said they could expect no more than a no-frills consular
service. Butproviding even that has proved problematic. This week, for
example, theSouth African embassy staff in Harare has been able to see only
seven of the70 men individually. It has based its assurances that they are
well onobservations at their trial, which is being conducted in the prison.
The menmade another appearance there on Wednesday.

But having its
citizens facing the death penalty has now concentrated theSouth African
government's mind.

This week Deputy Minister of Foreign Aziz Pahad said
the suspects were beingtreated like any South Africans in distress abroad.
In addition to consularaccess, this would entail demanding a fair trial for
them in accordance withinternational law.

He made it clear South
Africa is not about to accede to the demands by thesuspects' families that
they be expatriated for trial in South Africa. Buthe indicated that the
government would be obliged to get involved if theywere sentenced to
death.

Even then, however, this would be limited to using its persuasive
powerswith countries whose leaders have not shown a predilection for
takingadvice.

The South African Human Rights Commission got involved
in the issue thisweek, reminding the government of its duty towards its
citizens detainedabroad. As the sting operation goes increasingly from bad
to worse, thegovernment can expect this point to be driven home
repeatedly.

On Wednesday Harare Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe rejected a
defence motionto free the 70 suspects, saying there was reasonable suspicion
against themen. He ordered them remanded to custody until their next
appearance on May26.

Paradza's crime, it appears, was to criticise on
Zimbabwe's media laws,which he said did not promote investment in the
industry. A formerjournalist, he has since been suspended by the provincial
executive of hisparty on charges of denigrating party policy.

As
Zimbabweans read the uncharacteristic attack on Moyo by Paradza, theminister
was receiving similar treatment in Mozambique.

Reports from Maputo said
protesting journalists accused Moyo of trying toaddress a meeting "in the
victims' house" - a reference to the imprisonmentof journalists and lack of
press freedom in Zimbabwe.

The protesters carried banners reading "A
snake is always a snake, whereverit is" and "Moyo, go away, you are not
welcome here". They protested loudlyagainst the closure of newspapers in
Zimbabwe.

Moyo, who was on an official visit to the Mozambican capital,
was notprepared for such antagonism. He had enjoyed cordial talks with
Mozambicangovernment officials, and visited various media institutions such
as theMozambique News Agency and Radio Mozambique.

The reports said
he remained in the room, hoping the protesters wouldeventually calm down.
However, he finally had to leave without speaking.

Hilário Matusse,
general secretary of the union of journalists, expressedsurprise at the
demonstration because he was "fully convinced that the pressconference was
in the interest of all journalists".

Moyo returned from Maputo to be
greeted by invective directed at him by theusually demure Tribune in an
article titled "Paradza back in town".

Paradza was responding to
allegations published in the state media that hewas planning to team up with
exiled Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa -a major shareholder of the
closed Daily News - to run the Tribune newspaper.

The state media also
alleged that he would get money from the Britain forthe venture, and to
obtain the funds he had to attack the government.

Paradza was abroad when
the allegations were made. This week he confirmedthat he was suing the
publishers of The Herald newspaper and ZimbabweBroadcasting Holdings, which
owns the television and radio company Newsnet.

While the article did not
name Moyo specifically, Paradza's comments leftlittle to the imagination. He
also made a veiled attack a senior partyofficial in Mashonaland
West.

"I know the two elements that tried to destroy me," he said. They
should beashamed of what they did.

"Actually after this unprecedented
onslaught on my person, I have emergedstronger than ever before.

"The
good thing is that the whole nation knows that these elements have nomorals.
Both of them joined Zanu-PF in 2000 and their past smells likerotten
eggs."

He said the party leadership should take action against the
"unscrupulouscharacters who want to destroy the party from within by
peddlingfalsehoods".

He added: "If they can abuse the state media and
spread a lie like this, howmuch other false information have they told the
party leadership, let alonethe president?

"It is not surprising,
because one of them is a former Rhodesian policereservist who used to kill
freedom fighters during the liberation war, whilethe other worked for an
imperialist organisation with direct links to theAmerican spy agency, the
Central Intelligence Agency."

Moyo worked for the Ford Foundation, a US
think-tank, before joining Zanu-PFin 2000 when he was first appointed to the
Constitutional Commission.

By Sifelani
TsikoINSECURITY and a rising crime rate are now forcing the city's
well-heeledresidents to barricade roads leading to their upmarket homes in a
growingtrend that reflects staggering security challenges
ahead.

Already, fear of crime has prompted Zimbabwe's top sporting
personalities,soccer player Norman Mapeza, golfer Nick Price and tennis
player Byron Blackto barricade a road leading to their sprawling homes to
keep out hijackers,burglars and other criminals.

Along Folyjon
Crescent lined with mansions on some vast and spacious acresof land swimming
pools, tennis courts, well kept lash green lawns and treesall punctuate the
scenic view of this unique spot in Glen Lorne.

But fear of crime behind
the affluent homes has seen a new phenomenon in thecountry.

Booms
manned by security guards seal off this area in a feat that has seenthe
city's super rich making "unofficial road closures" in a number of
otheraffluent northern suburbs.

Security specialists say crime is the
main reason why people may want toseal themselves off, a phenomenon that was
previously identified with SouthAfrica, which has one of the highest crime
rates in the world.

"There is huge demand for security services in the
country due to risingcrime," says Mr Victor Chitongo, the managing director
of Chitkem Securityand chairman of the Zimbabwe Indigenous National Security
Association.

"Everyday you have 12 to 15 people making serious inquiries
about safety andhome security."

Armed robberies and carjackings are
on the rise and a number of people havebeen killed by criminals inside or
closer to their homes in recent months.

Last week, Bindura Nickel Mine
chief executive Dr Leonard Chimimba was shotdead by carjackers outside his
Hogerty Hill home, in a case that has sentshockwaves down the spines of top
executives and other rich people in thecity.

The carjackers failed to
steal Dr Chimimba's Toyota V6 vehicle because thecar had an anti-hijack
system.

One of the suspects in this case has since been
arrested.

In February, a prominent architect Andy van de Ruit was killed
by robberswho broke into his Hogerty Hill home in a spate of armed robberies
that hasseen many people in the affluent suburbs losing property and cash
runninginto millions of dollars.

A total of 76 incidents were
reported to the Anti-Hijack Trust last yearwhile the police recorded 372
cases of armed robberies in Harare, 259 inBulawayo, 106 in Mashonaland East,
160 in Mashonaland West and 58 cases inManicaland over the same
period.

Killings of policemen and those of security guards are also on
the rise.

Last week, two policemen were killed at a roadblock near
Mukumbura BorderPost.

Mr Chitongo says a number of security guards
have been killed or injured onduty.

"Robbers have become very
daring," he says.

"I don't have figures but this (security guard attacks)
is certainly on theincrease."

Safety and home security is now a major
priority for many people who areweary of robberies which has seen most
losing electronic gadgets like DVDs,television sets, radios, VCRs, cars,
jewelry, cash and other assets.

In most high-density neighbourhoods,
street alleyways popularly known as"maSandlines" or "mukoto" have been
closed to keep out burglars and othercriminals.

Durawalls with broken
glass spikes are now common in these areas just likethe rich have them with
razor wire and spikes in the affluent northernsuburbs.

For those who
can afford, new security devices like anti-hijack systems forcars, motion
sensors, high-tech alarms and many others are fast becomingpopular as
communities grapple to find effective anti-crime barriers.

Finding the
right anti-crime security measures is a problem worldwide.

Security
experts say there is a sharp growth of "gated communities" in manycountries
particularly in countries with high social and income inequalitieslike the
United States, Brazil and South Africa.

Burglar bars on windows and
doors, they say, have almost turned homes intoprison for many people
fighting against rising crime.

"We have burglar bars on our house, but
thieves are still daring," says MrsEmily Mabandla of Belvedere.

"They
have broken into my house many times and honestly I don't know what todo
next."

She says boom gates can be a useful anti-crime barrier even though
this isnot legal.

"The city council can say this is illegal but what
has it done to protectresidents from robbers?" she says.

"Right now
my children have no TV to watch. We have to do all we can as acommunity to
protect our assets from burglars."

But critics say sealing off suburbs is
not a plausible solution in the fightagainst crime.

They charge that
it may promote racism or elitism as a certain group maycluster on its on
away from the rest of the population.

"I don't think its anything to do with elitism or racism," says
oneBorrowdale Brook resident.

"Criminals have become sophisticated
and daring. People feel they have toprotect whatever they have got from
thieves.

"These are hard times and when thieves steal your TV set where
will you get$2 million for a simple basic TV set?

Others suggest that
boom gates simply divert crime to other areas.

Daring criminals are often
lured to affluent sections of Harare where theybelieve they can steal
valuable items unlike in high-density suburbs wherethe risk of death is high
given the propensity for people to mete outinstant justice.

Some
people are now taking dogs inside to keep out burglars as there is nowa
growing tendency to poison them when outside as a way of clearing the wayfor
them to break in.

But finding the right anti-crime barriers could be as
tough as coping withHIV and Aids pandemic which has no easy answers until
now.

It points to the price that humanity has to pay for
urbanisation.

And, people in so-called modern societies pacing around
nervously in theirheavily fortified homes have no easy answers to
crime.

They only have to marvel about how pre-colonial African communal
societiesmanaged to live without the police, boom gates, security guards and
othersophisticated crime fighting devices.

Herald
ReporterA Sky News crew yesterday held an interview with President Mugabe as
per thestanding agreement between the Government and the Sky News.

In
a statement yesterday, the Department of Information and Publicity in
theOffice of the President and Cabinet said the Sky News crew held
anhour-and-half long interview with the President at Zimbabwe
House.

"The interview with the President which is expected to be flighted
on SkyNews on Monday 24th May, 2004, was pre- ceded by a series of articles
onZimbabwe already broadcast, arising from impressions the crew had from
itsextensive tour of the country and contacts with a cross-section
ofZimbabweans, in- cluding those in opposition," read the statement

Australian Players Asked to Back Zimbabwe Rebels With
Boycott May 21 (Bloomberg) -- The international cricketers' union is
askingAustralian players to boycott three one-day international matches
inZimbabwe next week in support of 14 rebel Zimbabwean players who were
firedtoday.

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union, which has been in
dispute for seven weekswith its senior players, today agreed with Cricket
Australia Chairman BobMerriman to scrap two Tests and go ahead with the
three-match one-dayseries.

The rebels, predominantly white and
led by former captain HeathStreak, are demanding changes to the ZCU's
selection process and accuse theboard of racism and corruption. Cricket
Australia's compromise hasundermined their position, according to the
players' union. The Zimbabweboard terminated the players' contracts this
morning for the second time intwo weeks and ordered them to return their
sponsored cars.

``Bob Merriman has robbed us all,'' Richard Bevan,
board member of theFederation of International Cricketers Association, told
reporters inLondon. ``Those Zimbabwe players were about to take to the table
with theZCU to discuss resolving the issue.''

The group
originally numbered 15. Sean Ervine, one of the dissenters,has since retired
from internationals aged 21.

The compromise angered Australian
players because they'd hoped that ateleconference between International
Cricket Council executives would helpimprove matters for the Zimbabweans,
Bevan said. The agreement to cancel thetwo Tests removed the need for the
ICC to discuss whether to downgrade thematches to unofficial
status.

Not Happy

``People are accepting that the
Zimbabwe rebels are not playing but weare not happy with that and neither
are a lot of players around the world,''Bevan said.

Bevan said
he's spoken to FICA chief executive and former Australiaplayer Tim May about
six times today and has received ``about eight calls''from rebel Zimbabwe
players, mostly Streak. May is in discussions withMatthew Hayden,
Australia's team representative.

Should the Australian players
decide on a boycott, they'd be breakingtheir contracts with their employer,
Cricket Australia, which has agreed tohonor the one-day
internationals.

``We would be very surprised if the players did not
fulfill thematches as they have a very healthy relationship with their
cricket board,''ICC spokesman Brendan McClements said in an
interview.

The one-day matches are scheduled for Tuesday, Thursday
and Saturdaynext week.

Integrity

The ICC arranged
the teleconference amid concern for the integrity ofTest cricket because
Zimbabwe fielded an understrength team and sufferedheavy defeats. In the
striking players' absence, Zimbabwe conceded 713-3against Sri Lanka in last
week's Test match and was dismissed for a worldrecord low 35 against the
same opposition in a one-day match.

The ICC will debate the issue
further at its annual executive boardsummit next month.

Suspending Zimbabwe from the ICC, on the grounds it is unable to fielda team
strong enough to compete at elite level, is not ``on the cards,''said Ehsan
Mani, the ICC's president.

England, scheduled to tour Zimbabwe in
November, should wait untilafter the ICC's June meeting before making a
decision on whether it willfulfill its commitments, ICC Chief Executive
Malcolm Speed said.